Question

If you burn your trash in the back yard in spite of regulations against it, then you are

A) acting economically irrationally and creating a social cost.
B) avoiding the private costs associated with disposing your trash some other way and creating a social cost.
C) acting rationally and creating a positive externality.
D) saving landfill space and creating a social benefit.

Answer 1

The correct answer is choice b.

By burning your trash in the backyard in spite of regulations against it you are avoiding the private costs associated with disposing your trash some other way and creating a social cost. The social cost would be the air quality of your neighbors who are breathing in the smoke from the burning trash.